Following Manchester United’s heavy defeat at The Emirates it was said by fans and pundits that the international break couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Red Devils. That it’d leave a cloud hanging over the squad the manager would be unable to address.Undoubtedly there is some truth in this but the break gives teams suffering bad form a chance to wipe the slate clean and start over. It’s hitting the reset switch which does neighbouring rivals City no favours.It’s great to head into the break feeling positive but it would be even better to use the feeling as the driving force for a sequence of successful results. At the start of the season The Citizens came out of the blocks fast. Their first five victories had some prematurely calling the title race a foregone conclusion. This was never going to be the case but it is testament to the run they were on.Then came along the September international break, denying Pellegrini the chance to continue City’s dominant start, disrupting the pattern. The first game back from the break was a tough away test to Crystal Palace. It took a goal in the 90th minute from late substitute Kelechi Iheanacho to steal a win. There had been a drop off in performance in comparison to the opening league games which at the time was attributed to the application of Alan Pardew’s side.[ffc-gal cat=”manchester-city” no=”5″]Hindsight being 20/20 offers a different opinion. By halftime in their following match to Juventus, a home game on Tuesday night, it was clear the zest from the opening games has been squashed. Many will argue Juventus were last year’s Champions League finalists but they have lost several key players. They still have a European nous City could learn from, and executed a perfect game plan that required them to be clinical, but the City side that started the season would have been out of sight by halftime. Instead City lost 2-1.Any doubts the Tuesday loss was a European problem disappeared when West Ham came and they also left with a 2-1 victory. In the second half the Hammers weathered a storm, indicating the City that was so feared before the international break still existed. Glimpses are a long way from effectiveness though, it was clear City were out of sorts.Next came two 4-1 results, one for the blues, away to Sunderland in the League Cup. The next one against them, away to Tottenham in the league, proving the cup wouldn’t kick-start their stuttering season. What did this was a tricky away tie to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League. If there’s a fixture that will highlight a struggling City, it’ll be such ventures in Europe. City passed the test.They followed it up, after an awkward first half, with an empathic 6-1 home victory to Newcastle. Either this was another North East red herring, or more likely, it showed City’s killer instinct had returned. Under Pellegrini they are never going to be the best defensive unit, as demonstrated by Newcastle’s opening goal. This doesn’t matter when they hit so hard in attack.After such a game Pellegrini would have loved to have a few games back-to-back to allow the momentum to gather once again. Instead he had to wave off his men for another international break. A question mark would have hung over the squad’s ability to return on the same frequency anyway, what has answered the question early is the injury to Sergio Aguero while playing for Argentina.
Early reports suggest a six week layoff. Quite why he was allowed to play is a question City should be asking his international side. He received treatment at halftime during the Newcastle game because of a tight hamstring, when he was subbed it was a precautionary measure with this in mind. It’ll be frustrating for Pellegrini to hear the injury he picked up for Argentina was his hamstring.
Without the jewel in the crown City will have a difficult month or two ahead. There aren’t many players in world football that would be a suitable direct swap for Kun and City’s hopes now lie with a struggling Wilfred Bony and a rookie teenager.
Once again the international break knocks City out of their stride, threatens momentum and gives hope to the chasing pack.
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